Beyond him, nearby are people on both sides.
One side dressed in black, the other...
"Elder Shi, your disciple has failed," said the person speaking, her voice crisp but drawn out, habitually dragging the last syllable with a lazy sibilance, rising and falling in pitch, an intonation that brooked no refusal, evoking the image of a noble lady lounging lazily behind a curtain, or perhaps a dashing maiden galloping across the meadows.
The stark contrast in impressions underscored the contradiction of her persona, yet surprisingly charismatic.
One could hear her voice without yet seeing her face.
Elder Shi, imposing as ever, was not upset when he heard her words. Instead, he chuckled and shook his head with his hands behind his back, "Yes, he has lost, and lost splendidly."
The defeated man wore a face full of shame, but under everyone's gaze, he clenched his fist and bowed to the much younger youth.
The vanquished, bowing in respect.
